Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

28 reviews

calliedoo's review against another edition

funny reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I think this book was written as if it was the main character’s journal. I really thought I would relate to a lot of things throughout the story, but I found that it was drawn out and somewhat redundant. Not my favorite book and didn’t meet my expectations, but it does have some moving messages to it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder

Moderate: Body shaming and Cursing

Minor: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Drug use

jazzy_g's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The protagonist's experiences were very personally relatable which likely explains why I enjoyed this book so much. Now in my early 30s, I have never been divorced, nor married however I have had a few long-term relationships end throughout my mid to late 20s and found myself in very similar resulting spirals of patterns, thoughts and destructive and erratic behaviours. 
Monica Heisey, through sorrow and humour, brilliantly addresses many elements of the millennial and post break-up experience including the financial struggles of trying to adapt to single life in a society where living off an average single-person salary is becoming increasingly difficult; the begrudging but often necessary return to your parents' home (often also a surprisingly healing experience); the awkward relationship with your own body; the random 'self-care' efforts to feel more balanced and 'beautiful'; the coming to terms with your bisexuality that still feels like relatively unexplored terrain; the attempts to fill a hole with random online shopping sprees; the despair, torment and fun of modern dating both online and otherwise; the depressive episodes so full of self-loathing and self-pity that you cannot see the light, end up pushing loved ones away and struggle to share in their joy; the challenges of maintaining and nourishing friendships and creating new connections in adulthood; the rabbit-hole of often bizarre Google searches (I found these particularly funny and familiar); emerging through the pain and out the other side, with better perspective, recognising that there is more, there is hope and there are much larger problems out there.
If you are a millennial and going through a tough time, or a similar experience, this book should help provide a laugh. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Body shaming

lana_reads98's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Dysphoria, Biphobia, Bullying, and Toxic friendship

achay91's review against another edition

emotional funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual content and Drug use

Minor: Eating disorder

laurataylor's review against another edition

emotional funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Medical content, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Grief, and Alcohol

sop17hie's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming and Eating disorder

lindsm94's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

While I did see some of myself in the main character, she was insufferable and I couldn’t wait for it to be over. I wouldn’t recommend 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Body shaming, and Cursing

dnlrbchd's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I understand everyone who DNF this book and/or found Maggie  intolerable. What won me over was that everything people hated it exactly what made things relatable. Heisey does an uncomfortably good job of articulating what it's like to be in your late 20s, post major relationship breakup and absolutely fucking floundering as a result. It's hard to read because she's writing about the kind of grief and disorientation that's embarrassing and selfish, and rather bad when outside eyes observe it. Not everyone is enlightened and self-aware at 28 and that's okay! It might be everyone's cup or tea to read about but it's okay.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fatphobia, Sexual content, Alcohol, Body shaming, Vomit, and Grief

Minor: Eating disorder

sprucewillow's review against another edition

funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Alcohol, and Body shaming

bonchoix's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, Body shaming, and Mental illness

Moderate: Eating disorder and Toxic friendship

Minor: Infidelity, Stalking, and Biphobia